


Black Ties & White Lies

by Erulisse17



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Arguing Sociology With Random Guys at Parties, Comedy, Costume Parties & Masquerades, F/M, Friendship, Gen, Humor, Kiss of Distraction, Meet-Cute, sassy Rey
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-19
Updated: 2019-07-30
Packaged: 2020-01-16 06:53:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18516190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Erulisse17/pseuds/Erulisse17
Summary: The plan was simple. Sneak in, kick Paige's ex-boyfriend's ass, then sneak out.But Rey did not plan on arguing with an unfairly hot but unsurprisingly elitist Greek god of a man while looking for said ex-boyfriend, especially when he took offense to her refusing to dance with him for some reason.And she definitely didn't plan on kissing him.Or how a masquerade party leads to unexpected actions, feelings, and consequences, along with Ben Solo's Cinderella dashing away without even leaving him a shoe behind. Nevertheless, he's determined to find her.





	1. Paper Faces on Parade

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Frog_heart_00](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Frog_heart_00/gifts).



> A gift for looc_at_me for the Writing Den's Anniversary Fic Exchange

****

 

 ****God, he hated parties.

 

More accurately, he hated Poe’s parties.

 

Who even threw masquerades anymore? It was like a bad seventies Mardi Gras in here.

 

Glancing over to the bar, Ben rolled his eyes at his friend, two women on each arm and more on every side, all laughing uproariously at Poe’s latest joke.

 

On second thought, maybe he just hated Poe.

 

He tugged at his shirt collar, jacket discarded in the heat of the summer’s eve, and readjusted his black and red mask. He wanted nothing more to rip the ridiculous thing off his face and throw it on the ground, but there were already enough people who knew who he was. The last thing he needed was another desperate girl throwing herself at him.

 

As a brunette in a sparkling silver dress with a low-cut back pretended to stumble next to him in a literal mockery of his wish, Ben rolled his eyes and begrudgingly held out his hands to steady her.

 

“I assume you would like a dance?” He sighed, frowning at the blue and cream filigree on her mask and wondering how long until this thing was over.

 

The brunette blinked at him, then furrowed her brows. “Uh… no. Thank you,” she told him suspiciously in a British accent before walking away.

 

Ben stared, then bolted after her. “Wait, what do you mean ‘no’?”

 

Startled, she turned back to stare at him. “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you were one of those guys with super fragile egos.” Plastering on a fake smile, she motioned between them, “It’s not you, it’s me.”

 

“No, that’s not what I- _Fragile ego?”_

 

“I’m sorry, but I can’t really talk right now,” she told him, peering around his considerable frame. “I’m looking for someone.”

 

“Ah.” Ben crossed his arms and shook his head cynically. “Do you want me to list them by family name, or just tell you who’s worth the most?”

 

The brunette tilted her head. “Who’s worth the- Oh my God! Do you seriously think I’m here _shopping_ for a boyfriend?” She hissed at him, full of righteous anger. “What kind of awful, shallow, superficial person are you?”

 

“Me?” Ben asked. “You’re the one who came here looking for someone!”

 

“And your first assumption is that I’m here perusing price tags on potential boyfriends?” She asked in an incredulous tone.

 

“I’ve seen it before. These women exist.” He argued, crossing his arms as her eyebrows shot up.

 

“‘These women’? Do you actually believe you’re helping your case?” When he blinked at her, the girl sighed and simply muttered, “Yikes. Un-believable.”

 

“They do!” He insisted, part of him wondering how naive she really was and another part noting that this was by far the most he had spoken to anyone at any party ever.

 

“Okay,” she placed her hands on her hips in a way that really should not be as effective as it was, “let’s pretend you’re right. That there are these ruthless gold-diggers out hunting down poor defenseless rich boys. Do you have a similar issue with a guy only dating a girl because she’s hot?”

 

Ben took a slight step back at the force of her tone as he tried to come up with a response. “I… Well… That’s different.”

 

“How? Wealth and beauty are both status markers only made desirable through external-” Stopping herself, the girl made a slicing gesture, then bit out, “Actually, I don’t have time to argue sociology with you. Just make yourself useful and point out Thomas Thanisson for me.”

 

Rolling his eyes, Ben jerked his chin toward a group of young men lounging by the window. “He’s the jackass over there.”

 

The girl peered through the crowd as one of them slapped a waitress’ butt before the clique all burst out laughing. “Yeah, I’m going to need you to be a bit more specific.”

 

“Middle one. Dark blond hair.”

 

“Got him.” As she glanced up, Ben noticed her hazel eyes were sharp and filled with disdain. “Look you’ve been… well, mostly presumptuous, and kind of a douche, with a nice splash of misogyny mixed in, but you were somewhat helpful, so... thanks. I guess.”

 

Ben’s mouth dropped open. “Presumptuous? How dare-”

 

The brunette held one finger up to his mouth, stunning him into silence. “Before you say anything, let me suggest taking all of that affronted energy you’re about to direct at me and instead using it to reassess how you treat people.”

 

Canting her head with an infuriatingly smug smile, the girl turned to walk toward her prey until Ben darted in front of her.

 

“I’m sorry, but you can’t just-”

 

“For what?”

 

“Huh?”

 

“What exactly are you sorry for?”

 

After he forced himself to take a breath, he continued, “I’m sorry if you’re offended-”

 

The green in her hazel eyes sparkled puckishly, causing his traitorous heartbeat to pick up a notch. “Ah. A non-apology. Everyone loves those.”

 

Grinding his teeth, Ben continued, “But l can tell when people are up to something and you-”

 

“Oh? How’s that? Because you always look for the worst in people? And then when they make a mistake, as all humans do, you can congratulate yourself on not actually caring about anyone because you recognize that the whole human race just isn’t worth your time?” She dished back.

 

The jibe cut too close to home for him to summon up any kind of patience. “And do you enjoy looking down on everyone else from your high horse? Or are you so delusional that you’ve overlooked the fact that you came here specifically to find one of the richest playboys in Coruscant?”

 

Stepping closer, the fire in her eyes strangely intriguing, she growled, “I’m looking for him specifically so I can kick his ass for cheating on my friend!”

 

Ben blinked. “Oh.”

 

They stared at each other as he processed that bit of information, after which he added, “Can I help?”

 

The strength of her sly smile and surprised laugh nearly bowled him over as she replied, “Maybe. If it looks like I can’t take him, you go ahead and step in.”

 

Her grin clearly infectious, the corner of his mouth tugged up as well. “I just might.”

 

“I look forward to it.”

 

About to walk away, he reached out to grab her arm. “Wait.”

 

It took more effort than he cared to admit to finally say, “I’m sorry.”

 

Her quirked eyebrow clearly asked if he really wanted to go down that route again, to which he clarified, “About what I said. I shouldn’t have assumed those things about you.”

 

Hazel eyes softened at his tone, before she prompted, “But? I can hear it, so go ahead and say it.”

 

Pushing aside the odd thought that he could count on one hand the number of people able to predict his actions, Ben coughed, then added, “But I’m usually right about people.”

 

She stepped closer, the tantalizing smell of honey and lavender drifting around him, and watched him with a strange intensity from under her mask as she replied, “Well, you were wrong about me.”

 

Ben’s pulse was loud in his ears as she tilted her head curiously. “I wonder what that says about you.”

 

With a sudden spin, the girl turned away, breaking whatever spell she had put on him that stole his breath and tightened his chest.

 

As she pushed through the crowd, Ben tried to trail inconspicuously behind, watching her posture shift into a much more sensual walk as she drew nearer to the boisterous pack of boys.

 

“Mind if I join in the fun?” She purred, instantly drawing every male’s direct attention.

 

“Depends,” Thanisson drawled. “What’s your family do?”

 

Ben watched her freeze, eyes darting back and forth as she stalled for time. “My family?”

 

“Yeah. Only millionaires and up are allowed over here. For instance, my family mostly makes money by managing our own assets. So, how about you?”

 

To her credit, she only paused for a second before answering, “You ever use a blender?” The group blinked as she gestured to herself with a charming smile. “You’re welcome.”

 

A redhead Ben recognized as Armitage Hux frowned. “Which brand?”

 

“Brand? Oh, no, I mean… the patent! Good old great… _great-_ grandpa was a bit of an inventor. Worked out well for me though,” she told him, winking flirtatiously.

 

“Really? Man, that’s a sweet family gig,” one of the others commented before Hux could ask any follow-up questions, as another offered her a drink.

 

Sidling up to the one in the middle, she fluttered her eyelashes coyly and asked, “You wouldn’t happen to be Thomas Thanisson, would you?”

 

“Technically, it’s Thomas Brodie-Sangster Thanisson.” He corrected.

 

Only Ben heard her mutter, “Of course it is,” while smiling tightly.

 

“Why do you ask?”

 

Leaning close, she murmured, “Because I have a message for you from a friend of mine.”

 

His brown eyes widened in interest as she draped her hand along his arm. “Do you now?”

 

“Mm-hmm,” she hummed, then grabbed his wrist and flipped it around into an excruciating joint lock.

 

Thanisson screeched in pain as she yanked backwards, leveraging his shoulder and sending him crashing to the floor as everyone around them gaped.

 

“The message is this: Next time you’re thinking of cheating on your girlfriend… Don’t.” She commanded, then kicked him in the groin for good measure.

 

As someone shouted for security, the girl looked up, met Ben’s open-mouthed stare of wonder, then tossed him a conspiratorial wink before dashing out a side exit and leaving everyone whispering in a combination of scandal and awe.

 

…

 

Okay, so maybe this wasn’t one of her better plans.

 

But when Rose had told her movie night was canceled because Paige had just gotten dumped after finding out her boyfriend was cheating on her, the sound of distant sobs told Rey that there was only one avenue of recourse:

 

Revenge.

 

And since Bazine regularly threw away dresses with the tiniest of stains, Rey just had to pull out the sparkling silver number she had smuggled out under the pile of laundry and trash from Bazine’s room (and walk-in closet, and vanity, and the bathroom that was larger than her entire apartment - God, _rich people_ ). One stain-away treatment later, she was ready to crash the latest VIP party.

 

As she crouched behind a fern out on the marble terrace, Rey had to admit that perhaps she should have thought her escape plan out a bit more.

 

Poe Dameron’s birthday party was criminally easy to sneak into, so this was probably karma, coming back to bite her in the ass, as it always did. The Latino heart-throb was the romantic lead of every other movie this year, and Rey figured it was her best chance to get close to Paige’s asshole ex and blend in with the crowd.

 

The fact that it was a masquerade only made it better. Or worse. God, who even threw masquerades anymore? Did he think he was Marie Antoinette or something?

 

Footsteps echoed against the marble, and Rey ducked even lower, cursing the fact that Bazine only liked outfits that could blind bystanders or be seen from space. It sounded like only one security guard, so maybe she could slide around, keeping the column between them (Looney Tunes style), and then bolt for the side exit.

 

The balcony fell silent, then a light shuffle told Rey that the guard was about to peek around the column and it was now or never. Tensing up, she bolted like a track star towards the exit, only to crash squarely into a large, nicely scented chest.

 

The four inch, slightly too big heels Bazine had also tossed away after two drops of champagne had ‘ruined them’ of course betrayed her, sending Rey careening towards the floor until she was rescued by a steel-like grip, muscles bulging under his black shirt as he gently set her back on her feet.

 

Oh God.

 

It was him.

 

The unfairly hot but unsurprisingly elitist raven-haired Greek god of a man who was so offended by her not wanting to dance with him.

 

(Okay, so maybe the elitist thing was pretty harsh. To be fair, he did apologize - sincerely, by what she could tell - and maybe he had encountered a few unscrupulous people who did take advantage of others, but still! It was the principle of the thing!)

 

His amber eyes widened and he looked almost… relieved?

 

“You…” He breathed, and Rey could not find a rational cause for how loudly her heart started pounding.

 

He opened his mouth to say something else when Rey heard heavy footsteps coming from the hallway inside, along with distant shouts of, “Check over there! She might be hiding outside!”

 

Scanning the terrace for other escape routes and finding none, Rey bit her lip, then suddenly had a possibly terrible, definitely insane, spur-of-the-moment idea for how to escape detection.

 

Wincing as she debated the thought, but couldn’t come up with anything else, she whispered a frantic “Sorry!”

 

Frowning, his red and black filigree framing his caramel-colored eyes far too perfectly, he only had time to ask, “For wha-” before Rey grabbed his shoulders, stood on her tiptoes, and yanked his lips to hers.

 

A small part of her mind was distantly tracking the movement of the security guards, how the running steps slowed, then stopped as a flashlight briefly illuminated the man’s shadow over her face, then continued on with other muffled shouts.

 

The majority of her brain, however, was reveling in the sheer raw electricity between them. It was a bit awkward at first, as he was clearly caught off guard and off balance, standing shock still with most of her weight hanging from one side of his neck and her mouth a bit higher than his, nearly missing his aquiline nose as the edges of their masquerade masks snared on the filigree.

 

But suddenly, he shifted his head so his lips covered her mouth, his ridiculously large hands started to slide around to her back, and Rey found herself pressing into his massive chest with a demanding hum as her arms encircled his neck and she buried her fingers into his hair. Rey half-expected a static shock as lightning fizzled through her body, spreading goosebumps and pleasant shivers across her skin as his fingertips ghosted along her bare back, his mouth tasting like spiced cider over a crackling fire as his scent permeated her senses.

 

Dreamy images of her climbing him like a goddamn tree drifted through her mind until her vanishingly small logical inner voice pointed out that the guards were long gone and her window before they returned was shrinking rapidly, not to mention the fact that she was wrapped around a complete and utter stranger in a tangle of limbs and primal thoughts.

 

Slowly, reluctantly, Rey pulled back, resting the back of her head against the cool marble column as she tried to catch her breath. She couldn’t help but feel a bit of feminine pride as it took her unwitting partner in crime a good minute to open his eyes and refocus his intense, amber gaze.

 

She opened to mouth to say… something. Anything.

 

A walkie-talkie chirruped from inside. “Negative. Rechecking the northeast hallway.”

 

Pausing, she thought of a thousand different things she could tell him, but the survival instinct that had kept her alive this long was too strong to ignore, so she simply blurted out the only safe farewell she could give him.

 

“I have to go,” she breathed, regretfully, wistfully, a hundred ‘if only’s echoing through her words as she allowed herself to trace the edge of his mask with one finger, before rushing toward the exit in a doomed effort to leave all of her conflicting emotions behind.

 

…

 

“Ben!”

 

Startled out of his dazed reverie, he whirled around in hope even as he recognized Poe’s baritone.

 

“Dude! I just saw you get kissed by that total badass chica from earlier!” His friend clapped him on the back with pride, then shook his head in amazement. “Who the hell is she?”

 

Turning to stare at the door she had disappeared through, Ben sighed, then lifted his chin in resolve.

 

“I have no idea. But I’m sure as hell going to find out.”


	2. Hide Your Face So The World Will Never Find You

Amazing moodboard by [LeiaMyLabrador](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeiaMyLabrador)

* * *

 

 

“So…” Rose started with an amused eyebrow as they prepped food. “Everyone is talking about a mystery girl who showed up at Poe Dameron’s party last night and took down Thanisson with a flying karate kick.”

 

Rey kept her eyes on mincing the garlic. “Oh? Sounds like what’s-his-name got exactly what he deserved.”

 

With an ill-concealed smile, Rose continued, “I’m sure you had nothing to do with it, but thank you.”

 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, but you’re welcome,” Rey grinned in return, basking in the knowledge that justice had been carried out.

 

As her thoughts turned to the rest of the evening, Rey bit her lip, then peeled cloves while asking as nonchalantly as she could, “Hey Rose, you know basically all of the celebrities out there, right?”

 

“I mean, not all of them, but most of the ones in Coruscant.” Her friend sighed. “Gotta keep up with who’s vegan this week or figured out they’re gluten-intolerant or whose boyfriend just discovered keto. Why?”

 

“Well… I ran into this guy at the party, but didn’t really catch his name.”

 

“Okay, can you describe him?”

 

“Tall. Like, absurdly tall, with long dark hair and brown eyes and…” Her voice took on a dreamy tone as she envisioned him in her mind. “Broad shoulders. Big hands. Soft lips…”

 

It took a few moments of silence before Rey realized Rose was staring at her with growing suspicion. “Define ‘ran into’ for me?”

 

“I… well we… I argued sociology with him.”

 

Rose’s gaze sharpened with intuition. “And…?”

 

“And he helped me hide from security.”

 

_“And…?”_

 

“Okay, fine! I grabbed him and we kissed and then we made out on the balcony. Happy?”

 

“Oh. My. God! Rey!” Rose stared at in a strange mixture of horror and admiration. “You made out with a total stranger! You don’t even know his name!”

 

Crushing the garlic with the flat of her blade, Rey shamefacedly added, “He was wearing a mask, too.”

 

Rose dropped the mussel she was holding and shrieked, “You don’t even know what he looks like!? This is better than the Bachelor!!”

 

“What’s better than the Bachelor?” Finn, Rose’s boyfriend and the other prep cook, asked as he pulled on his apron.

 

“Rey just attack-smooched a hot guy at Poe Dameron’s party!”

 

“You were at Poe Dameron’s party? The guy from _‘Kiss Me Careful’_?” Finn shouted in surprise as Rose thwacked him on the arm. “I mean… wait, you attacked a guy?”

 

“No. I mean, yes, but a different guy.”

 

“She beat up Paige’s asshole ex and then played tonsil hockey with a random hot dude!”

 

Rey sighed plaintively. “Can we not use the term ‘tonsil hockey’ please? It sounds so gross.”

 

“Snogging?” Finn suggested.

 

“No.”

 

“Sucking face?” Rose teased with a grin.

 

“Ew. Never.”

 

“Canoodling?”

 

Rey turned to Finn and tried to bite back her smile. “How old are you?”

 

“Swapping spit?”

 

“Alright, I’m out. Enjoy mincing all this garlic by yourselves!” Rey shouted as she threw her hands up and walked out of the kitchen.

 

The jokes kept coming a week later, when they were catering for some giant charity gala.

 

“Necking?”

 

“Rose, I swear to God-”

 

“Frenching?”

 

“I literally have a knife in my hand right now, Finn.”

 

Rose glanced at the time, then hurriedly grabbed the bowl of chopped leeks off of Rey’s table. “Well, you shouldn’t! It’s 6:45 already!”

 

“Shit,” Rey muttered, throwing off her apron and ducking into the bathroom to change into her waiter’s uniform.

 

“Hey, we’re all meeting up at Eisley’s next Saturday for Rose’s birthday, if you’re free,” Finn called out from the other side of the door.

 

“I’d love to, but I’ll have to check. I’ve got a midterm to study for, and if I did poorly on the homework, then I’ll have to go into academic lockdown,” she answered, emerging in a white shirt with a black vest, tie, and pants.

 

“Oh right. How’s all that going, by the way?”

 

“Slowly. I swear, if I wasn’t over halfway done with this idiotic degree…”

 

Rose smiled and handed her a bottle of water. “Are you saying that working as a maid in the mornings, a waitress/prep cook in the evenings, _and_ going to school means you aren’t available to goof off with the rest of us?”

 

“God, I wish I could.” Rey sighed, gulping the water. “If I didn’t need them to pay me, I swear I’d slap every rich person who ever complained about how warm their caviar is and tell them some of us have real problems.”

 

“But alas, such is the burden of the working class,” Finn gestured theatrically as he stared off into the distance.

 

“Too true, Shakespeare. Now hand me that plate of canapés.”

 

Rey spent half the night zoning out with her best customer service smile, offering appetizers and flutes of champagne to the crowd of celebrities and VIPs as a speaker droned on about how much they were all helping the children and how the senator truly appreciated their donations. She had her route down to an art, nearly finishing off the tray of finger foods as she made her way to the service entrance. She held out the selection to an elderly couple with her tired yet professional smile until she heard a familiar voice.

 

Half-wondering which television star was attending, Rey became suddenly incredibly awake as her brain finally connected the low baritone to a face in her memory - wide caramel eyes set over an aquiline nose as red and black whorls decorated his mask.

 

It couldn’t be…

 

And yet, as he half-turned to acknowledge the person next to him, Rey was faced with the inescapable fact that her mystery man was only a few feet away from her and could glance over any second-

 

How presumptuous was she anyway? As if he’d remember her from one night, over a week ago, where she had been wearing a mask and hadn’t even told him her name. He was rich - that much she knew - which meant he probably kissed a variety of women at every party he went to.

 

“Pull it together, Rey,” she hissed to herself, then smiled apologetically at the couple as she peered back over her shoulder.

 

Only to meet those amber eyes, narrowed in puzzlement, as he peered in her direction.

 

Her tray crashed to the floor with a loud clang, causing everyone to stare as Rey winced, swept up the fallen appetizers and bolted for the door, murmuring apologies the whole way.

 

“He’s here!” She yelled in panic as she burst into the kitchen.

 

Rose looked up from carving the rotisserie chicken and Finn frowned, “Who’s here?”

 

“Him!”

 

Eyes growing wide in excitement, Rose grinned, “The guy you...?”

 

“Yes! Now you’ve got to hide-”

 

Heavy footsteps echoed down the hall, and Rey dove under the prep table as a last resort just as the doors flew open to reveal the tall, dark-haired man, looking back and forth frantically as Rose and Finn gaped.

 

Finally catching sight of them, the man stepped forward and inquired hurriedly, “Are there just the two of you here?”

 

“Uh… yes. Us and the chicken,” Finn ventured, pointing to the trussed bird between them.

 

“And the rest of the kitchen,” Rose added, motioning behind her to the other chefs and staff, all now staring at the sudden interruption.

 

“Oh.” The note of disappointment was clear in his voice. “I see.” With one last despondent glance around, he sighed and roughly shoved the doors open.

 

Rose peeked under the table with an amused eyebrow. “So. Tell me, _chicken_. What exactly is your plan here?”

 

Rubbing her face in exhaustion, Rey sighed and shook her head. “I wish I knew.”

 

…

 

“Where’d you go?” Poe asked when Ben returned, angrily snatching a champagne glass and downing the whole thing.

 

“Nowhere.” He growled, looking around for something stronger than the bubbling drink.

 

Poe, far more intelligent than many gave him credit for, glanced between his friend’s sour mood and the service entrance.

 

“You thought that poor waitress was your mystery woman, didn’t you? The one who kissed you hard and left you weak?”

 

Giving up in his search for whiskey, Ben grabbed another glass of champagne. “Never say that phrase ever again.”

 

“Dude, it’s been a week! You’re really hung up on this girl, aren’t you?” Poe commented slyly.

 

“I am not hung up, I just… She’s the first interesting person I’ve met at one of these idiotic parties, that’s all.”

 

“One: hurtful. Two: fair.” Poe grinned teasingly. “Three: Sure. That’d definitely why you interrogated Thanisson and everyone you thought talked to her.”

 

Snorting in derision, Ben bit down viciously on a canapé. Talking to Thanisson, his only real connection to this girl, proved both fruitless and infuriating.

 

_“Who was that girl?” He had demanded as Thanisson slowly got to his hands and knees._

 

_“How the hell should I know!? The bitch came out of nowhere!”_

 

_Reining in his temper with difficulty, Ben clenched his fists and asked, “She’s a friend of your girlfriend!”_

 

_Thanisson blinked. “Which one?”_

 

_“The one you cheated on!” Ben clarified angrily._

 

_The other man stared, then shrugged. “Which one?”_

 

_Growling, Ben kicked him in the ribs, causing Thanisson to thump back onto the floor, and stalked off to search for her on his own. On a whim, he had checked the balcony, where he had indeed found her - and got a lot more than he bargained for._

 

_Like the best kiss of his life._

 

“Ben!” Poe tapped him on the shoulder with an amused look, snapping him out of his reverie.

 

“Hm?”

 

His eyebrows waggled suggestively. “Do I need to leave you and your champagne alone?”

 

“What?”

 

“You were giving your drink a very ardent look. I can give you two some space, maybe find myself a nice wine glass-”

 

“Shut up,” he muttered, shoving Poe to the side.

 

Flashing one of his signature smiles, Poe bounced right back and slung his arm around Ben’s shoulders. “Never fear, brave knight! The lady who hast stolen thy heart will one day return to-”

 

Shrugging off Poe’s grip, Ben glared. “I’m not a knight and she hasn’t stolen my…”

 

Something in his tone made Poe pause, then take a good look at Ben’s face. “Oh my God. She really has stolen your heart, hasn’t she?”

 

“Go away,” Ben mumbled, painfully aware that he was blushing.

 

“Well, in that case, I’m with you, buddy.”

 

Frowning at his friend, Ben tilted his head askance. “What?”

 

“I shall help you in your quest!”

 

“Please don’t.”

 

“To find the girl of your dreams! The one woman who can make you a pleasant human being to be around!”

 

“...What?”

 

Poe shook his head. “You’re right, that’s asking far too much of her.” Flinging his arm out dramatically, he resumed his speech. “The one woman who can probably make you somewhat happy, maybe!”

 

Ben shot him a dark look. “Thanks.”

 

“You’re welcome. Now! Let us seek out the love of your life whose name you don’t even know!”

 

“I’ve told you you’re the worst friend ever, right?”

 

“So many times. Onward!”

 

Ben sighed, but reluctantly followed Poe, unaware of a pair of hazel eyes, watching him through the crack in the service door with a look of wistful longing.


	3. Every Face A Different Shade

“Thank you all for coming to my presentation today,” Rose announced as she opened her laptop and set it on the coffee table, ignoring Rey’s confused look as she and Finn sat on the couch.

 

“Rose, when you said you figured out who the guy from the other night was, I thought you were just going to… y’know. Tell me.”

 

Rose waved dismissively, “Please save all comments and questions until the end.”

 

Finn leaned over and whispered, “She’s been working on this presentation for hours. I think she’s excited to finally use her PowerPoint skills again.”

 

Sighing, Rey leaned back and grabbed a pillow. “Is this lecture going to start any time soon, professor?”

 

“Question,” Rose clicked to the first slide. “Who is the tall, dark, and handsome victim of Rey’s pent-up sexual frustrations?”

 

“Hey!”

 

“Answer!” With a dramatic press of the arrow key, Rose revealed a magazine cover of said mystery man, complete with pink hearts and red lip-prints framing his face. “Ben Solo!”

 

Rey’s eyes went wide. “Wait, isn’t he-”

 

“One of the youngest VPs at First Order Analytics, earning him a spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list,” Rose interrupted, continuing on to the next slide which had another photo of Ben with kissy faces and dollar signs scattered around. “He personally spearheaded the KYL0R3N modeling software, which if you didn’t know, means he’s the man behind all those websites that are stealing your personal information.”

 

Devil horns appeared on Ben’s head, along with a large equals sign and the word ‘EVIL’.

 

Rey tried to pipe up again. “No, I was going to say that he’s the one who-”

 

An old family photo came into view, where a regal woman in a stunning white and silver dress stood with a man in a decorated military uniform as an awkwardly tall teen glared to the side. “Currently estranged from his senator mother, Leia Organa and Air Force pilot father, Han Solo, as an adult, rumor has it that they may be attempting to make amends.” 

 

A note reading ‘PILOT DAD - COOL. POLITICAL BADASS FEMINIST MOM - AWESOME!!!!!’, with accompanying thumbs up emojis swirled into view beneath the photo. 

 

“He also briefly dated Bazine Netal last year, heir to the Chaako Weapons Manufacturing fortune, and incidentally, whose room Rey cleans every morning.” With another click, the screen now displayed a tabloid page with Ben Solo and a woman at a table together, both frowning darkly at the camera as the headline read:  _ WEBSITES AND WEAPONS WEDDING ON THE WAY? _ . 

 

Horns now decorated both of their heads, with another equals sign next to the phrase ‘DOUBLE EVIL’.

 

Finn turned to stare at Rey. “This guy dated  _ Bazine?” _

 

Rey nodded, then whispered, “He dumped her after like three months. It was brutal.”

 

“And he’s  _ still alive?” _ Finn nearly screeched in disbelief.

 

“Somehow.” Rey shrugged. “Although I think she set everything she had of his on fire.”

 

“Yikes.”

 

“To conclude!” Rose declared loudly, clicking over to the next slide. “Should Rey date him?”

 

“Wait, shouldn’t I answer that question?”

 

“Pros:” Rose continued, ignoring the question as two columns of text swooped in. “Rich, handsome, tall, good kisser, cool family, still looking for Rey after attack-smooch.”

 

Blushing, Rey protested, “Seriously?”

 

“Cons: Rich, evil, dated Bazine (more evil), not cool with cool family, likes women who attack-smooch him. Conclusion…”

 

Rose presented the last slide, a close-up of Ben’s face with a red slashed circle around it, with a smile. “Rey should not date Ben, because he is evil. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.”

 

“Do I get any say in this?”

 

“Yeah! What if she makes him less evil by dating him? Flirt to convert!” Finn joined in, and Rey whacked him with the pillow.

 

“You are not helping.”

 

“I’m sorry, Rey,” Rose stated unrepentantly. “Unless Ben becomes not-evil, the answer is no.”

 

“How about the answer is we all stop debating my love life forever and finally leave for Rose’s birthday celebration so I can get drunk enough to completely forget this conversation ever happened?” Rey responded, shutting the laptop for emphasis and shooing everyone out the door.

 

Paige called just as they piled into the cab. “Happy birthday, little sis! Sorry I can’t make it tonight, everyone is running around like crazy to prep for fashion week. That and gossiping about the Blender girl and where she’s going to strike next. Did you know that she showed up at a party a few weeks ago and totally kicked Thomas’ ass? Do you think she knew that we-”

 

“Bye Paige thanks for calling love you see you soon okay bye!!” Rose yelped as she hung up, then glanced at Rey sheepishly. “So, after I talked to you, she asked me not to tell anyone that she had cheated on. Or dumped. She wanted to just let people know it was a ‘mutual parting of the ways’.”

 

“See, now I think I should have kicked him harder.”

 

“Blender girl?” Finn inquired in confusion.

 

“Oh, I um… may have told Thanisson I was heir to the blender fortune.”

 

“Like one of the brands?”

 

“No. I said that my great great grandpa invented the patent.”

 

“Holds the patent,” Rose corrected.

 

“Whatever.”

 

Smiling, Rose looked out the cab window, then slowly commented, “Wait… this isn’t the way to Eisley’s.”

 

Finn smiled and pressed a teasing kiss to her forehead. “No it’s not, sweets. I’m glad you caught on eventually.”

 

The cab stopped and Rey opened the door as Rose asked, “Caught on to what, exact-”

 

The petite girl froze and gaped at the flashing lights above them. “Is this… the Outlander Club?”

 

“Surprise!” Rey and Finn chorused with wide grins. “Happy Birthday!”

 

“Oh my God you guys!” Rose shouted, clapping her hand over her mouth. “This is one of the most exclusive clubs in the city!”

 

“And we’re on the list!” Rey informed her proudly.

 

“What?! How?”

 

Finn preened. “Let’s just say that my Samuel L Jackson imitation came in handy once again.”

 

“And what other instance has that imitation been handy?” Rey probed, but was cut off by Rose’s enthusiastic hug. 

 

“You guys are the best and this is the best present ever and I love you all!”

 

“We love you too,” Rey told her, then headed for the doors. “Now let’s make this a night to remember!”

 

…

 

“I hate you.”

 

“Calm down big guy. We’re just here to blow off a little steam,” Poe soothed, signaling a waitress with a flirtatious wink.

 

“You said this was a whiskey tasting,” Ben muttered accusingly.

 

“We will taste whiskey, I promise.” Poe waved dismissively as the waitress came over. “Hi there. How are you doing tonight? I hope you feel as fantastic as you look.”

 

“Dameron,” Ben growled under the woman’s light giggle.

 

“Sorry. I’ll have your tastiest margarita and he’ll have a-”

 

“A bottle of most expensive whiskey you have and an empty glass,” Ben interrupted with a glare. 

 

Poe shot him a pitiful look as he held his hand over his heart. “Ow! Straight for the money!”

 

“It’s the least you can do,” Ben told him, frowning at the flashing lights and loud music. “You know how much I despise nightclubs.”

 

“You used to go out to clubs all the times with Bazine!”

 

“Exactly,” Ben muttered darkly.

 

“Oh. That makes sense, now that I think about it.”

 

“You can do that?  _ Quelle surprise.” _ Ben deadpanned.

 

“Mockery  _ and  _ French? You’re not even drunk, Solo!” Poe gasped in melodramatic shock. “You may be ready for a fabulous night yet!”

 

_ “Dear God, _ where is that whiskey?”

 

…

 

“Okay, Imma have one more Manhattan, then that is it. We can post-game somewhere cheaper, where Finn’s wallet and my head won’t hurt so much,” Rose proclaimed, draining her glass of the remaining few drops.

 

“Hey, no, don’t worry about that. It’s your birthday! Order something special,” Finn urged, trying to peruse the menu without blanching.

 

“You’re special. Can I order you?” Rose grinned, then leaned over to plant a zealous kiss on her boyfriend.

 

“Ugh. Couples. Gross,” Rey teased, sliding out of the booth. “I’ve got this one, Finn. No problem.”

 

Happily dazed, Finn nodded, then paused. “Hey, is it my one gin and tonic or is that your mystery man over there?”

 

_ “What?” _ Rey and Rose demanded at the same time, Rey in horror and Rose in interest.

 

A quick peek toward the far corner confirmed Finn’s guess.

 

“How does this keep happening to me?” Rey hissed, shielding her face.

 

“Maybe you two are  _ connected,” _ Rose offered gleefully, popping the maraschino cherry into her mouth.

 

“What are you going to do?” Finn asked, patting his girlfriend’s hand. “Are you going to talk to him?”

 

“What? No. Yes. Maybe. I don’t know!”

 

Rose leaned across the table and stage-whispered “You should totally talk to him!”

 

“You’re the one who said that I shouldn’t date him because he’s evil!”

 

Shrugging, Rose countered, “That was sober Rose. Drunk Rose says he’s a rich hottie with a body and what’s the worst that could happen?”

 

“Bazine could kill me, for one. He could take one look at my face and run the other way, for two.” Rey glanced over to his table, where he sipped his drink and glowered at anyone who came near. “He could… not remember me.”

 

Before either of her friends could respond to the note of genuine sadness in her tone, Rey plastered on a grin and announced, “One Manhattan coming right up!”

 

Shoving her way to the front, Rey finally caught the bartender’s attention after several gestures and shouting a polite, but loud “Excuse me!”

 

Once the lady actually made eye contact, Rey leaned forward in order to be heard over the booming music. “One Manhattan and two waters, please.”

 

Giving her a skeptical glance at the order, the bartender shrugged and reached for the whiskey.

 

“Put it on my tab,” a low, musical tone added, and Rey sighed and turned to decline the offer.

 

“Thanks, but that’s alri-  _ Oh my God, you’re Poe Dameron!” _ She shrieked.

 

The Latino movie star turned to her with a dazzling smile. “So they tell me. Now, who are you?”

 

“I’m Rey. It’s so great to meet you,” she told him, shaking his extended hand.

 

“Pleasure’s all mine.”

 

“And thank you, but you don’t have to pay for the drink-”

 

“Nonsense,” he waved dismissively. “If you’ve bought even a single movie ticket, it’s the least I can do.”

 

Rey bit her lip and glanced away guiltily.

 

“Wait… you have seen my movies, yes?”

 

“I’ve rented some?” She tried optimistically.

 

“How many is some?” Poe questioned curiously.

 

Rey winced. “...One?”

 

“Ai!” Poe held his hand to his forehead dramatically. “You wound me!”

 

“I’ve seen most of them, just… don’t have a lot of money to spend on movies, especially when they’re…”

 

“Terrible?” He supplied, the mischievous glint in his eye belying his hurt tone.

 

_ “Knights and Nymphs _ was okay!”

 

“Everyone hated  _ Knights and Nymphs!” _

 

“The worldbuilding was good!”

 

“Wow.” He leaned in close. “Tell me the truth. You’re a film critic, aren’t you?”

 

Rey laughed. “No, no. My friend over there is the true fan. She’s the one who ordered the Manhattan. She owns every one of your movies. She loves you. Not- not  _ you  _ you, but your acting. It’s her birthday today. I’m babbling now. I’ll stop.”

 

“Well, I am glad to have bought a drink for someone who appreciates my talent,” he jibed back, looking over his shoulder. “Which one is she?”

 

“Booth second to the right from the corner.”

 

They both watched as Rose strained her neck looking for Rey, then stopped, jaw dropping as she grabbed Finn’s shoulder in an iron grip.

 

“Yeah, that’s her.”

 

Poe smiled and waved, then leaned back and motioned to the bartender. “A bottle of your finest champagne for the birthday girl over there.”

 

“Oh, you don’t have…” Rey started, then gave him a soft smile. “Thank you. I think you just made her year.”

 

“Happy to oblige,” he told her, mouthing  _ ‘Happy Birthday’ _ at Rose, who looked dangerously close to fainting.

 

Tilting his head, Poe studied Rey for a moment, then asked, “So, I have a question for you, if I may. I promise it’s not about your distaste for fine acting.”

 

Rolling her eyes a bit, Rey nodded. “Sure. Go ahead.”

 

He crossed his arms and leaned forward conspiratorially. “Are you Blender Girl?”

 

Rey froze, eyes widening as her heartbeat suddenly drowned out the thumping EDM. “...No. I mean… who? What?” She narrowed her eyes. “Why?”

 

“Because my gloomy friend over there has been looking for you for two weeks now.” Poe jerked his head backwards, but Rey was already staring at Ben’s dark form, hunched over in the VIP area.

 

“Really?” She breathed, missing the satisfied smirk crossing Poe’s face.

 

“Mm-hmm. Now, my other question is this: why are you hiding from him?”

 

She met his raised eyebrow with a flash of fear. He shook his head and tapped her shoulder reassuringly, “I will absolutely wave him off if you want me to. Just give me the word and I will sell him the ‘other fish in the sea’ story so hard he might even believe it. But, for my own curiosity… why?”

 

“Because…” Rey trailed off, then sighed. “Because he has no idea who I really am.”

 

Poe gave her a gentle half-grin. “I’m sure he’d like to fix that.”

 

…

 

“Hey buddy!”

 

“Go. Away.”

 

“So you know how you’re always joking about how you hate me and I’m a terrible friend?”

 

“I do hate you and you are a terrible friend.” Ben responded flatly. “Not joking.”

 

“What if there was a way that would undo all of that? What if I did something so miraculous that you called me your BFF?”

 

“That will never happen.”

 

“Are you sure?” Poe teased. “Even if I found… her?”

 

He stepped aside, revealing a booth across the club with a trio of people toasting champagne glasses. Ben frowned in confusion until the tall brunette turned around, meeting his gaze with a shy smile and a small wave.

 

Standing slowly in disbelief, Ben pointed and murmured, “Is that…?”

 

“Yup.”

 

“Are you…?”

 

“Mm-hmm. It’s her.”

 

“Oh.” Ben blinked, feeling like his brain was running at half-speed. “She waved at me.”

 

“Yes she did.”

 

“I should wave back.”

 

“Probably.”

 

“... Am I doing it?”

 

“Nope. Lift your hand. A little higher. There you go. Now wave. Good. Okay, put it down. It’s weird now.”

 

“... I could go over there.”

 

“You definitely could.”

 

“I should go over there.”

 

“I’d highly recommend it.”

 

“Okay.”

 

Poe did an admirable job concealing his amusement as his tall friend stayed rooted to the floor.

 

“Here I go.”

 

“You’re not moving.”

 

“Give me a sec.”

 

“Would you like me to push you?”

 

“What? God, no. I can do this myself.”

 

Poe silently counted down from ten before he heard a muttered, “Okay. Yes. Push me.”

 

“First - does this make up for all the awful things you think I did?”

 

“That I  _ know  _ you did. Sure. I guess.”

 

“Second - does this make us BFFs? You have to say yes.”

 

“Ugh. Whatever. Yes.”

 

Poe fistpumped with a victorious, “Yes! From now on, you will address me as ‘Bestie’.”

 

“I will kill you before that happens.”

 

Shrugging in acceptance, Poe replied, “That’s fair,” then shoved him gleefully in the direction of Rey’s table.


	4. Look around, there's another mask behind you

Ben honestly wasn’t sure how he walked across the nightclub. Part of him was aware of Poe gently steering him through the crowd, and while he probably should be annoyed at such familiarity, he honestly couldn’t focus on anything besides her face in the flickering darkness.

 

It wasn’t until they were at the booth that Ben realized he had no idea what he was going to say. He would have halted in panic, but Poe’s grip grew firmer as he pushed his friend the last few feet.

 

The girl set her glass down carefully on the table, then stepped forward with a small smile, her sparkling blue dress catching the neon lights.

 

“Hi,” she said softly, hazel eyes full of an anxious hope.

 

A weight rolled off his chest as her voice was the same as that night - and just as beautiful as he remembered.

 

“Hi,” he whispered back.

 

After a few moments, Poe walked around to place his arm around the brunette in a casual manner, sparking Ben’s instant jealousy and a mental note to punch Poe in the face later.

 

“This, as I mentioned before, is my friend Ben. Ben, this is Rey,” he smirked, looking far too pleased with himself.

 

The jealousy faded as Poe moved her a step forward, then slid into the booth with a roguish grin. “And I am Poe Dameron. I hear you’re a fan.”

 

As the couple at the table both dissolved into high-pitched squeals, Ben realized that he was simply standing and staring. Like an idiot.

 

“Nice to meet you officially, Ben,” she told him, extending her hand; completely unaware of the devastating effect of hearing his name in her honeyed tone.

 

“Rey,” he breathed, the rest of whatever he was to going to say evaporating under the light of her eyes.

 

…

 

“So… is it just me, or is this super awkward?” Finn murmured to Rose.

 

“Just give them a sec!” She argued, then paused. “Although, yeah, this is pretty awkward.”

 

“Actually, this is him doing really well,” Poe interjected, leaning into their circle as Rose and Finn gawked.

 

“Doing _well?”_ Finn repeated in disbelief.

 

“Yeah. He’s usually a lot worse. Like, _a lot_ worse.”

 

Rose glanced between him and the pair of idiots staring silently at each other. “Worse than this?”

 

Poe heaved a heavy sigh. “Sadly, yes. Being his wingman is… difficult, to say the least.”

 

“No kidding!” Finn winced. “Sounds damn near impossible.”

 

“Some days, I swear-”

 

“Shhhhh!” Rose hushed them both. “I can’t hear what they’re saying!”

 

…

 

“Would you like to go somewhere… not here?” Ben asked hesitantly over the booming music.

 

Rey’s smile faded as she shifted her weight. “Look, Ben, before… well, before anything, you should know that-”

 

“Whatever it is, it doesn’t matter. I found you.” He interrupted, hand raising as if to touch her shoulder, then faltering as she shook her head.

 

“No, I… you should know… I’m not the kind of person someone like you would want to socialize with.”

 

“Oh?” He lifted an arch eyebrow. “ _‘Someone like me’?_ And how would you know what kind of people I enjoy socializing with?”

 

“Well, I figured-”

 

“You mean you assumed?” Ben corrected, a hint of mischief in his tone. “Sounds to me like you’re falling prey to the same classist and elitist assumptions based on external social markers that you accused me of.”

 

There was a long moment of silence, then Poe sighed dramatically and threw up his hands. “Why do I even try?”

 

Before Rose or Finn could console him, a loud peal of laughter burst forth from Rey, and they all turned to see her grinning widely before biting her bottom lip.

 

“Alright,” she conceded with a coy smile. “I’ll give you that one.”

 

Ben desperately hoped his face didn’t betray the overwhelming tightness in his chest at her sparkling smile. Two conversations in and one smile rendered him speechless? God, what was _wrong_ with him?

 

“But I’m here for my friend’s birthday, so I probably should-”

 

Rose suddenly appeared next to Rey and held up a finger. “Hi! Would you excuse us just for one second?

 

Yanking her friend to the side, Rose hissed, “The hell is wrong with you? The guy you’ve been mooning over for weeks asks you out and you’re about to shut him down?”

 

“I… I’m here for you! For your birthday!”

 

“Yeah, and for my birthday, you’re gonna say yes to this very hot rich dude.”

 

“What about your Powerpoint?”

 

Rose raised an eyebrow. “You want a Powerpoint? How about this power point?” Raising her hand, she gestured to Ben’s face, then his chest, then curved around to indicate behind him when Rey grabbed her arm.

 

“Okay, okay, I get it. And slow down on the champagne! Drunk Rose is like, really pushy.”

 

“Maybe it’s because Sober Rey needs to be pushed?” She quirked back, then shoved her friend back over to where Ben was fidgeting uncertainty.

 

“So,” Rey turned to him after shooting a dark glare at Rose. “Where did you have in mind?”

 

Ben blinked. “Oh! I… There’s a dessert place down the block, if you like?”

 

A wide grin appeared on her face. “Always!”

 

Leaning back toward the table, she locked eyes with Finn. “I’ll be just down the block. Don’t leave without me, okay?”

 

“Not unless you want us to!” Rose hollered back with a wink, and Rey rushed off, grabbing Ben’s hand to pull him away before her friend shouted anything else embarrassing. She was too fixated on hiding her blush to see how he was staring in shock (and a bit of panic) at their intertwined hands. 

 

Once the server led them to their table and noted down their drinks, Rey’s eyes sparkled at the menu. “Dear God, everything sounds amazing.”

 

“Order whatever you like. On me.”

 

She raised a teasing eyebrow. “I think I will.”

 

Their waitress, whose nametag read ‘Emmie’, returned with their coffees, then took their order with only a small look of surprise as the two pastries, creme brulee, and selection of gelato Rey requested for herself, in addition to Ben’s single tiramisu.

 

“Great! I’ll get that right out for you two,” Emmie nodded, pocketing her notebook.

 

She had only just made it to the register when Ben took a sip of his coffee, made a face, then snapped his fingers.

 

“You. This is unacceptable. I ordered an espresso. This is clearly an americano. The coffee is weaker and watered down. If I wanted an americano, I would have asked for one. I distinctly said-”

 

“If it’s not too much trouble,” Rey interrupted, and the waitress gave her a tight smile.

 

“Of course. I’m so sorry. I’ll bring that out in just a moment, on the house, of course.”

 

“I would hope so.” Ben responded shortly, then shook his head as the server walked away. He looked up, then nearly flinched at the anger in Rey’s eyes.

 

“What the hell was that?” She hissed.

 

“Was what?”

 

“The way you snapped at her like she was a dog, not a person, and the tone of your voice-”

 

“She brought me the wrong drink. What was I supposed to do?”

 

Shaking her head, Rey reached down to grab her purse. “I knew this was a mistake.”

 

Ben stared, then observed with distant confusion, “You’re angry with me.”

 

“Of course I’m angry with you! The way you spoke to her was just...” She searched for a word and then gave up with an irritated growl.

 

“I didn’t speak to her any differently than I do to anyone else! It’s her job to-”

 

“It’s her job to stay on her feet for six hours at a time while jerks like you order her around, all the while knowing that no matter what kind of day she’s had, her ability to put food on her table is based on how well she can smile at arrogant douchebags who treat her like dirt.” Rey bit out, standing up and marching outside.

 

“Wait, Rey-”

 

“And I guarantee that’s not how you speak to everyone.” She threw out over her shoulder as she started to walk down the street.

 

“Yes, it is! It’s how I speak to my colleagues, the people who work for me-”

 

Whirling around, she pointed an accusing finger. “Do you speak to your boss that way?”

 

“I…” He opened his mouth to argue, then stopped. “No.”

 

“Why not?”

 

“Because… he’s earned respect.”

 

“And that’s the problem. You don’t respect anyone you think is beneath you. That’s how you can tell who someone really is, by the way. By how they treat anyone they see as less.”

 

Shaking her head, she turned to start her way back to the club when she heard a soft voice from behind her.

 

“You’re right.”

 

She stopped, then slowly turned around. “What was that?”

 

Letting out a long breath, Ben twisted his mouth, but nevertheless repeated, “You’re right. I shouldn’t have spoken to her like that.”

 

Rey raised an eyebrow, still of half a mind to return to her friends.

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

Crossing her arms, she regarded him with an expectant stare. “And?”

 

“And what?”

 

“And what are you going to do about it? ‘Sorry’ is just a word. Anyone can say it and then never actually do anything to change.”

 

“I… I’ll apologize to the waitress.”

 

“Sincerely?”

 

Sensing a bit of hope, Ben nodded. “Genuinely. And, so she gets a bigger tip, I’ll get you two more desserts.”

 

Rey tilted her head in thought, then announced, “Bold of you to assume I won’t order four.”

 

The weight on his shoulders lifted as he followed her back to their table. “Of course. After all that affronted energy, I’m surprised it’s not ten.”

 

“Affronted energy? Please. I was just telling you the truth.”

 

After a moment, Ben picked at a scratch on their table. “You know, most people don’t do that.”

 

“What, yell at you when you’re being an ass?” Rey quipped.

 

“Tell me the truth,” he shrugged, and the quiet honesty sobered Rey’s mood a bit.

 

Her voice softening, she resisted the urge to cover his hand with her own. “Really?”

 

“Most of my life, people have only yelled at me for how my actions reflect on them, how it makes them look. My boss, my colleagues, my parents,” he added the last word bitterly, then sighed. “I guess it’s been a long time since anyone’s cared how my actions reflected on me.”

 

“I care,” popped out of Rey’s mouth before she could stop it, and when he jerked up his eyes to meet hers, the intensity in his gaze required some sort of deflection on her part. 

 

“Besides, you ever need anyone to yell at you, just let me know. I’m two for two so far, and you still have so far to go,” she told him with a coy sip of her latte. “Plus, I’m really good at it.”

 

She was unprepared for the sly upward tug of his mouth as he stared at her.

 

“How do you do it?”

 

“Do what?”

 

“Live each day with such passion. Don’t you find it exhausting?”

 

Swirling her drink around a little, she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, then answered with an odd sort of fondness, “Only around you.”

 

Just then their waitress reappeared with an impeccable customer service smile. “An espresso for you, sir. And again, and I’m so sorry about the mix-up. This is on the house, of course.”

 

Turning his considerable attention to her, Ben ducked his head, then stated clearly, “I wanted to apologize for earlier.”

 

Emmie blinked. “Oh, it’s quite alright, sir.”

 

“No, it’s not. I shouldn’t have snapped or spoken to you like that, and I’m sorry. I’m…” with the briefest peek at Rey, he continued, “I’m trying to be better.”

 

With a small, shocked smile, the server replied, “Well, thank you. I appreciate that.”

 

Shooting Rey a pleasantly surprised look of ‘Who knew?’, the girl left to attend to her other tables and Ben returned to his coffee, tasting it with a nod of satisfaction.

 

“Did you mean that?” Rey poked as the first wave of desserts arrived.

 

“Every word,” he told her solemnly, then leaned forward. “Did I meet your approval?”

 

Rey sat back as she savored her gelato. “For the moment,” she responded cheekily.

 

“Oh good. Now, since you have unearthed my flaws in great detail, I suppose I should try to win back a level playing field by finding one of yours.”

 

Laughing, Rey slid him an extra spoon and motioned to her frozen treat. “Oh please, my flaws are incredibly obvious to anyone who spends more than two minutes with me.”

 

“For example?”

 

“For example, I’m judgemental, have high standards, am often impatient and easily provoked. That’s besides my violent tendencies when I see people around me get hurt. Although you’re fairly familiar with most of these by now.”

 

“That’s not how I see them.” Ben countered, offering her the last bite of the creme brulee.

 

Rey lunged at the spoon. “Oh? And what do you see, hm?”

 

“I see a young woman who expects more of the world, and who anyone could count lucky to be considered her friend.”

 

Unsure how to take the tone of sincerity (or perhaps longing?) in his tone, Rey averted her eyes and started in on her bananas foster. “Ah, but those aren’t even my real flaws.”

 

“Oh?”

 

“Oh no. You see, I only listen to cheesy music, constantly make terrible puns, and am a truly horrendous dancer.”

 

Ben widened his eyes in faux horror. “Say it’s not so!”

 

“But it is! People flee the dance floor when they see me coming. The last wedding I was at ended in two injuries because I couldn’t adequately follow the Macarena. Anyone with a shred of sense stays twenty feet away from me.”

 

“Perhaps you haven’t found the right partner.”

 

Pointing her fork, Rey argued, “Or perhaps he ran screaming the other direction. Not that I’d blame him. People come near me at their own risk.”

 

Leaning forward, Ben’s honeyed irises trapped her gaze as he murmured, “I enjoy taking risks.”

 

The timbre of his voice did incredibly unfair things to her - tightening her chest, amplifying her heartbeat, and fixating her eyes on his mouth, a smudge of pomegranate gelato sitting just by his chin. Unaware of her movement, Rey found herself focusing on his lips as she drew closer, breath hitching as she reached for his face and-

 

 _“MEMORYYYYYY!!!!!!”_ An off-key, but very passionate song echoed through the window, startling Rey and Ben back into their respective chairs.

 

 _“ALL ALONE IN THE MOOOOOONLIGHT!!!”_ The amateur singer belted out as Rey closed her eyes, (mostly) grateful for the interruption of what was probably about to be a giant mistake.

 

“That’s Rose. I should go,” she told Ben, ducking to hide the furious blush spreading over her face.

 

“What? Who? Why?” Ben asked, scribbling on the check before rushing after her.

 

“Really Drunk Rose always reverts to Broadway right before she passes out. Sometimes it’s just one show, but sometimes-”

 

 _“DO YOU HEAR THE PEOPLE SING?_ ” 

 

They both looked up to see Finn ushering a clingy Rose out of the club as Poe helpfully leaned on his shoulder and sang the next line at matching volume.

 

_“SINGING THE SONGS OF ANGRY MEN!”_

 

Amidst Finn’s groan of exasperation, the pair linked arms and shouted, _“IT IS THE MUSIC OF A PEOPLE WHO WILL NOT BE SLAVES AGAIN!”_

 

As the slurred lyrics continued behind them, Ben shook his head with a muttered, “Great. There’s two of them.”

 

Rey laughed, then sighed. “I should really go help Finn before Rose goes boneless. But I’m… I’m really glad I got to see you again. Despite evidence to the contrary.”

 

Ben stepped forward, amber eyes earnest in the streetlight. “Me too. I-”

 

“Excuse me, sir,” their waitress ran out of the cafe, a distressed look on her face. “I’m so sorry, but you must have written down the wrong amount-”

 

“No mistake.” Ben interrupted. “It’s all for you.”

 

“Sir, this is a $500 tip,” Emmie clarified, a note of disbelieving hope creeping into her voice. “You can’t possibly-”

 

“I was an ass. Trust me, you deserve all of it.”

 

The girl gaped at him, then, with a slight tremor in her voice, simply said, “Th-thank you. Thank you so much.”

 

Looking profoundly uncomfortable, Ben settled for a solitary nod as she clutched the check and ran back inside.

 

When he turned to meet her eyes again, Rey was unsure how to categorize the warmth that flooded her chest and stole her breath.

 

“Rey!” Finn called out a bit desperately as Rose slowly slid down while still singing ‘Defying Gravity’ at the top of her lungs. “A little help here!”

 

 _“You and IIIIII DEFYYYYYY-ING GRAVITY!!!”_ She and Poe sang out at slightly different times in very different keys.

 

“I…” Rey started, suddenly thrown back to that night on the balcony, staring at each other with rushed breaths and a thousand unspoken possibilities between them. “I have to go.”

 

Nearly running over to the taxi that just pulled up, she patted Poe’s arm as she gently disentangled both him and Rose from her friend, helping Finn herd Rose into the back seat. Once Finn was inside too, Rey pressed a kiss to Poe’s cheek, which earned her one of his trademark roguish grins.

 

Before she could step into the car, she heard Ben call out to her.

 

“Wait!”

 

Her whole body eagerly whirled around without a single command from her brain to see him move towards her with an odd expression of longing and fear.

 

“Will I ever see you again?” He asked once he reached the taxi, oblivious to Poe’s drunken smirk behind him.

 

“I… I don’t know,” she admitted. 

 

“There’s a charity gala,” he told her in a rushed voice, “in two weeks, at the Takodana.” 

 

Rey smiled. “I know it.”

 

“Of course she knows it!” Rose yelled from inside. “She’s work-”

 

A swift kick inside turned the rest of the sentence into a pained yelp.

 

Ben’s amber eyes met hers with an intensity she felt in her core. “Will you meet me there?”

 

She should say ‘no’. Should end this delusion right here, right now, before it blew up in either of their faces. 

 

And yet…

 

“I will try,” she murmured breathily, and as hope lit up his face, he bent down to give her the softest of kisses, his hand just brushing hers as they held onto the metal frame of the door in between them. The gentle warmth of this kiss contrasted sharply to their first one, full of heat and fizzling energy, and somehow frightened her even more with the force of her reaction.

 

“Then I will wait all night,” he whispered, tracing the curve of her jaw in a gesture that left her weak.

 

He handed a hundred dollar bill through the front window. “Wherever they need to go. Keep the change.”

 

As Rey did her utmost best to not melt into her seat, he slowly closed the door for her, then watched the car drive away with a look of open yearning on his face as Rey turned around to try and keep him in view for as long as possible.

 

_“CANNNN YOU FEEEEEL THE LOOOOVVEEE TONIGHTTTT!!!??”_

 

“Rose I swear to God!”

 

…

 

“Ben and Rey, sittin’ in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-P-P-I.” Poe frowned to himself. “Wait.”

 

Sighing, Ben steered his friend toward the valet station. “Let’s get you home.”

 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Aren’t we going to talk about your big date?”

 

“No.”

 

“How ‘bout that kiss, ehhhh?”

 

“Definitely not.”

 

“Aren’t you going to tell me anything?” Poe stuck out his lip plaintively.

 

Ben turned in the valet ticket, then paused. “Thank you,” he said quietly. “For finding her.”

 

Poe openly gaped. “Damn! I don’t know what that girl has done to you, but I like it!”

 

As their car pulled up, Ben looked down the street, where Rey’s taxi was already far out of sight, and allowed himself a small smile.

 

“Me too.”


End file.
